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UNCW Names Kristen Brogdon Director of the Office of the Arts

Friday, May 29, 2015

The University of North Carolina Wilmington has named Kristen D. Brogdon director of the Office of the Arts after a national search, the university announced today. Brogdon will assume the role on July 1, 2015, but will begin transitioning into the position as the office’s part-time director on June 1.

“Kristen’s background, passion for the arts and enthusiasm to work with the Wilmington community made her an ideal fit as director and at UNCW,” said UNCW’s incoming Interim Provost Marilyn Sheerer. “We are looking forward to having Kristen join the university and believe her skills align well with what’s required of this new role."

This new position will oversee all arts programming from UNCW’s five academic departments and student-supported units, previously housed under Academic Affairs and Student Affairs. As director, Brogdon will be responsible for enhancing the coordination, planning, communications, marketing and public relations of UNCW’s regionally focused arts programs, and will work collaboratively with all academic departments and the participating student-supported units. She will be responsible for cultivating innovative partnerships and connections on campus and with key community partners, and will also create and execute fundraising strategies to support the overall work of the Office of the Arts and its programs.

“UNCW is a wonderful campus and I’m eager to begin working with students, faculty and staff to help develop creative, educational and high-caliber experiences for a variety of audiences,” said Brogdon. “This is an exciting opportunity that will allow UNCW to further engage with our community and create new offerings through collaborations with members in the arts community nationwide.”

Brogdon’s extensive experience includes working as the general manager of Hubbard Street Dance in Chicago overseeing artistic planning, finances, facility functions and the company’s cross-disciplinary collaborations; director of dance programming at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.; and as the general manager of the Suzanne Farrell Ballet where she was responsible for the operations, creating an administrative structure and curating the first Ballet Across America festival.

Brogdon earned a bachelor’s of arts in economics and a certificate in the arts from Duke University. She received her master of arts in business from the Bolz Center for Arts Administration at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.